True to it’s namesake, this iconic brand hearkens the days of prohibition-era rum running when Bill McCoy refused to compromise on quality. Only 3,000 bottles of this micro-batch have been released.

Pedigree

The Real McCoy 10 Year Old Limited Edition Virgin Oak Rum is a robust expression from Barbados created by blending rums aged in both Bourbon and Virgin American Oak casks.

Crafted at Foursquare Distillery, this expression relies on a higher percentage of copper pot still distillate for a richer flavor profile. Two batches are aged separately. The first spends twelve years in used Bourbon barrels. The second, ages ten years in virgin American oak casks.

Carefully blended to balance flavors, the result is bottled at a hardy 92 proof, an example of the authentic style of fine aged rum that made Barbados famous the world over.

Tasting notes

Aromas of ripe banana, toasted butter pecan, big oak and vanilla are accented by a funky fruit. On the palate, brown butter over charred oak brings vanilla, toasted almond and tart dried fruit with a suggestion of burnt sugar. The finish offers long lasting notes of dark buttered toast and plenty of oak.

Quality and Value

The Real McCoy 10 Year Old Limited Edition Virgin Oak Rum appeals to connoisseurs, while remaining accessible to all spirit enthusiasts who appreciate small-batch quality and good value.

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Known for their award-winning line of artisan rums, Kōloa recently announced a new limited edition expression: Kauai Reserve Three-Year Aged Hawaiian Rum.

Artfully crafted in single-batches at its Kalaheo distillery, Kauai Reserve is aged for a minimum of three years in select American white oak barrels and contains no added sugar, color or other ingredients. Only twelve barrels were bottled in this first limited edition release.

“We are thrilled to be launching our newest rum at the dawn of the new year,” said Koloa Rum Company President and CEO Bob Gunter. “Kauai Reserve is remarkably smooth with rich, complex flavors that linger long after the last sip.”

Limited Edition

Each of Kauai Reserve’s 12-barrel batches yields approximately 3,500 bottles that are carefully filled, inspected and numbered to meet the exacting standards for quality and taste that Koloa Rum Company is renown. Continue reading

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Diplomático Distillery Collection rums, labeled “No. 1 Batch Kettle Rum” and “No. 2 Barbet Rum” each contain a unique bottle number, batch number, and the date of the distillation marked on the label, as well as an illustration of the still.

A pair of rums that spotlight the distinctive production process used by the popular Diplomático Rum from Venezuela — the Diplomático Distillery Collection — have been released in the United States.

The distillery in La Miel, Venezuela has a long history of producing fine rums, using traditional copper pot stills, as well as modern column stills. One additional asset that sets them apart from others is their batch kettle still, a hybrid configuration best known for producing whiskies.

The new Diplomático Distillery Collection highlights these distillation systems with two new limited edition expressions: a Single Batch Kettle rum and a Single Barbet Column rum.

This new pair allows consumers to better understand and distinguish the various production methods and unique personalities of the stills used to make many of Diplomático’s fine blended expressions. Continue reading

Celebrating ten years, the Rum Renaissance Festival is poised to be bigger and better than ever with a new location on the water in Ft. Lauderdale.

The move from Miami-Dade County to Broward County offers a more convenient centralized location for residents of the eighth-most populated metropolitan area in the nation, currently surpassing six million people.

South Florida is the number one rum market in the world. It’s also the gateway to the Caribbean, Central and South American regions, where more than 90% of the rum available in the United States is produced.

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An award-winning boutique brand produced in Denmark, Skotlander Rum will age some of its distillate in bunkers built during World War II.

But why? Isn’t the best location for aging rum the tropics? Anders Skotlander, owner of Skotlander Rum explains: “The cold climate in Denmark offers us something different. Previously we have tried aging rum at sea on an old schooner — the movement of the sea and the difference between summer and winter gave us a really interesting rum. Now let’s try the complete opposite — this rum is being kept still and the temperature in the bunker is 10˚c night and day, all year round. I think we’ll spend much longer ripening the rum, maybe twice as long as the tropics, but in turn, the taste may be much more refined.”

This limited edition Skotlander Rum begins with a slow four-week fermentation in the cold Nordic climate to develop complex flavor components. The distillation in pot stills ensures the majority of these flavor compounds remain. Continue reading

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From one of the oldest rum producers in the world comes one of the finest rare aged rums ever bottled, Mount Gay 1703 Master Select.

Derived from double copper pot and single column still distillates, this spirit is a blend of 10 to 30 year old aged rums. 1703 Master Select is a deliciously complex and concentrated nectar reflecting the life-long mastery of blender Allen Smith. Continue reading

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The annual celebration of cane spirits and global gathering of rum experts in South Florida — Miami Rum Fest and Trade Expo — returns to the DoubleTree Miami Airport Hotel and Convention Center for the weekend of April 22-23, 2017 from 1 to 6pm. Continue reading

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Among the most exclusive and expensive rums on the market, the new Rum Arôme 28 year old presents a luxury aged rum experience for serious rum collectors and connoisseurs.

Rum Arôme 28 is produced by a life-long master of rum in Panama and packaged for the luxury market. This rare rum expression is limited to 500 bottles worldwide.

The rare limited edition Rum Arôme is a luxury rum aged 28 years in Panama

The rum is distilled in a vintage copper column still and aged in used whiskey barrels for 28 years before a careful blending brings all the elements into a near perfect balance.

Tasting Notes

Aromas include brown sugar, charred whiskey wood, honey, baking spice, ripe butter and leather, with a hint of black pepper. A very smooth sweet entry builds big warmth at mid-palate before drying out with lingering vanilla and big wood over dried fruit, offering hints of cinnamon, cocoa and allspice. Notes of white raisins and butter linger in the long finish.

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Known for their clever approach to marketing, Stolen Spirits announces the release of their Stolen Overproof Rum across the United States in key markets.

Discovering Stolen Overproof Rum

Stolen discovered this rum at a historic, family-run distillery in Jamaica that’s over 250 years old.

Stolen Spirits’ Overproof rum from Jamaica is produced in a traditional pot still from a legacy distillery.

In their time-honored Jamaican style, the mash ferments for seven days in a selection of 50 different cedar vats, developing a bold, rich and complex flavor profile. Traditional copper pots are used to distill the rum in a rustic manner, before a six year maturation in used whiskey barrels.

Stolen Overproof Rum is bottled at 123 proof (61.5% abv) and presented in half-size 375ml bottles with a suggested list price of about $20.

Tasting Notes

Stolen Overproof Rum offers aromas of bold charred oak and pepper over ripe banana, leading to funky juicy fruit. On the palate, a bold entry of butter, vanilla and oak develops a bouquet of fruit in the dry mid-palate with hints of tart citrus, soft pear, black banana and a touch of treacle in the long finish.

A Handcrafted Rum

“We consider ourselves to be extremely fortunate to have discovered this remarkable product. It’s rare to find a handcrafted rum of this proof and quality that’s been aged for six years,” said Samira Seiller, Global Managing Director of Stolen Spirits.

Stolen Overproof Rum is a limited release, with only 60,000 of the half-size 375ml bottles available.

About Stolen Spirits

The brand began in 2010 when two rum fanatics gave up the corporate grind to pursue their passion in Auckland, New Zealand. Stolen Spirits products are currently available in Australia, New Zealand, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, South Carolina and Tennessee, with more states coming online soon.

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From Panama, the Abuelo XV Finish Collection features a trio of luxurious double barreled aged spirits aimed at the serious rum enthusiast. These limited edition 15 year old expressions are rested in casks of Tawny Port, Oloroso Sherry and Napoleon Cognac respectively.

The Abuelo XV Finish Collection

Each delivers a well aged, complex Central American spirit created from molasses, enhanced with a delightful bouquet of European wines during the second stage of maturity.

This trans-Atlantic connection serves as an homage to the masters — an international bridge between cultures, a melding of classic flavors and gastronomic legends.

Tasting Notes

Abuelo Añejo XV Años Tawny Port Cask Finish

Aromas of cocoa and tart berry over ripe dark fruit, butter cookie and mild wood. On the palate, sweet dark fruit leads to bitter chocolate Bon Bon and raspberry with bread pudding, fading into earthy wood and hints of cocoa in the long finish.

Abuelo Añejo XV Años Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish

Aromas of cacao and stone fruit with suggestion of herbaceous cane, vanilla custard and a hint of pear. On the palate, rich dark fruit builds to vanilla custard over musty wood and cola before aromatic eucalyptus and butter croissant precede a hint of cane and molasses in the long finish.

Abuelo Añejo XV Años Napoleon Cognac Cask Finish

Aromas of vanilla and musty bourbon oak lead to sweet fruit and pound cake with hints of green and black peppercorns over bitter wood. On the palate, a sweet caramel entry leads to bold cognac wood in the complex mid-palate, with a balance between sweet fruit and dry vanilla. The finish is wonderfully viscous, fading into echoes of honey, green banana and flowers.

These 750ml bottles of the Abuelo XV Finish Collection, at 40% abv, retail for about $75 in the United States.

The Abuelo brand offers a range of award-winning rums from Panama including the Añejo, 7 Años, 12 Años and the luxury expression Centuria.

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From Destilerías Unidas in Venezuela, the Diplomatico brand has revealed Diplomatico 2002 Single Vintage, a new limited edition luxury rum expression.

Distilled in vintage copper pot stills in 2002, the rum was then aged in bourbon and single malt whisky casks for twelve years.

2002 Single Vintage Selection

Diplomatico 2002 Single Vintage is a limited edition aged rum from Venezuela aged in oak for twelve years before a second aging in sherry barrels.

Crafted from a selection of the most exceptional rum reserves in their vast complex of aging warehouses, the components of this Diplomático 2002 Single Vintage are hand-selected for exceptional quality.

After the initial aging process, these select spirits are transferred to Oloroso Spanish Sherry casks for another year to impart an enhanced finish.

After the second aging process, the Maestros Roneros carefully blend the rums in order to obtain the structure, body, personality, flavors and aromas that best express the vintage year.

The result is an artful and delicate balance of rare aged rums, destined for this special limited edition 2002 Single Vintage, created for the most serious rum enthusiasts.

Tasting Notes

Aromas of vanilla and almond lead to well balanced caramel and dark dried fruit before aromatic oak, cigar box, musk and raisin. On the palate, initial flavors of caramel, vanilla and oak are enhanced by complex dark fruit, spices and hints of tobacco. The finish dries out with very long lasting echoes of oak, raisin and toffee.

Diplomatico Rums

The Diplomatico brand includes many fine traditional expressions such as Rum Blanco, Reserva and Exclusiva. Among the prestige products are the single vintages and their ultimate luxury rum, Diplomatico Ambassador.

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The iconic Mount Gay brand of rum from Barbados recently announced a special limited edition aged rum package: Origin Series – The Copper Stills.

From Barbados, the new Mount Gay Origin Series: Volume Two, The Copper Stills Collection features two similarly aged rums created in two different stills.

The Copper Stills: Pot vs. Column

Mount Gay releases their limited edition Origin Series Volume Two: The Copper Stills, featuring a selection of two aged rum expressions from Barbados.

The first was produced in a copper pot still, the traditional method of creating rum that dates back to the brand’s origins in Barbados in 1703. The second expression was created in a modern copper column still, a more efficient method for producing rum from molasses.

Each of the two rums included in this special package exhibits a flavor profile unique to it’s method of distillation. Mount Gay rums achieve their complexity and depth of flavor by combining these types of marques in their popular blends.

Tasting Notes

The Copper Pot Rum leads with aromas of sweet cane, vanilla and funky fruit. On the palate notes of dark chocolate, toasted coconut and almonds lead to butter and oak in the finish.

The Origin Series Collections

“We created the Origin Series collections so that we could give rum drinkers the unique opportunity to experience rum by tasting the pure essence of the distinct distillation methods. We want to share a deeper understanding of how each part of the process can change the taste of rum entirely,” said Mount Gay Master Blender Allen Smith. “Copper Pot is a rich, intricate interpretation of signature Mount Gay aromatics, robust in flavor and body. Copper Column is a delicate and mellow expression of our classic profile.”

Like Volume One of the Origin Series – which featured Virgin Cask and Charred Cask varieties – Volume Two is presented in bespoke packaging of two 375ml bottles, along with a detailed booklet that gives an overview of the creation of the two rums.

The Origin Series Copper Stills collection, at 43% abv, will be available beginning October 2016 at premium liquor and spirits stores across the United States for a suggested retail price of $95.

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Novo Fogo Graciosa double aged cachaça, now available in the USA, is a fine example of a 100% USDA certified organic spirit from a zero-waste cachaça distillery. This expression ages for two years in re-purposed American oak, then finishes for 18 months in a barrel made from Brazil Nut (castanheira do Pará) wood.

Graciosa is produced at Agroecológica Marumbi distillery, known for producing small batches (130 liters each) of organic cachaça.

Graciosa double aged cachaça is named after the idyllic road (Estrada da Graciosa) that crosses the Brazilian Rainforest from the mountains to the sea; a reference to the graceful and enchanting land it traverses.

The Agroecológica Marumbi distillery is known for producing small batches (130 liters each) in the town of Morretes, in the southern state of Paranà.

Tasting Notes

Aromas of pecan shell, cinnamon bark and floral essences compliment the woody herbal character and cane fragrances. On the palate, aromatic wood and bark lead to bright cinnamon, allspice and clove. At mid-palate, cane and toasted almond are balanced by a hint of anise in the warm finish.

Novo Fogo Graciosa is a special limited edition release for 2016, bottled at 42% abv. The 750ml bottle sells for $34.95.

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Cedar Ridge Distillery has announced their limited edition Cedar Ridge Port Cask five year old aged rum, with a scheduled released in October, 2016. The expression emphasizes their dual expertise as the only integrated distillery and winery in Iowa.

Cedar Ridge has announced their limited edition Port Cask five year old aged rum produced at their winery and distillery near Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Cedar Ridge Winery produces wines from its own estate-grown grapes. A variety of boutique wines are available from the winery, including their American Port, White Port and the Iowa Varietal Series.

Cedar Ridge Distillery crafts its award-winning spirits in small batches in its European-engineered 80-gallon artisanal pot still. In addition to rum, some of their products include Bourbon, Single Malt, Rye, Wheat Whiskey and Un-aged Whiskey. Specialty spirits include Pear Brandy, Apple Brandy, Grape Brandy and Howdy’s Apple Pie liqueur.

Cedar Ridge Port Cask Limited Edition

The new Cedar Ridge Port Cask five year old aged rum is fermented and double-distilled. The spirit is then placed in single-use ex-Bourbon casks to mature. After the five-year mark, the rum is transferred to freshly emptied Cedar Ridge Port barrels for a unique finish.

Four casks of the rum, after accounting for the angel’s share, filled three Port barrels. The first limited edition batch is expected to yield approximately 1,000 standard 750ml bottles at 43% abv (86 proof).

Tasting Notes

The nose leads with aromatic wood over vanilla, honey and a berry note. On the palate, a dry entry features vanilla over butterscotch before big warmth at mid-palate. The wine notes emerge to compliment the wood before brown butter and floral accents give way to a warm, dry finish.

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The Plantation rum team based in Cognac, France, lead by master blender Alexandre Gabriel, recently revealed the results of a clandestine project.

The unveiling occurred during a tasting event at the annual Tales of the Cocktail convention in New Orleans.

Plantation Old Fashioned Traditional Dark (O.F.T.D.) aged rum is a high proof expression developed in collaboration with leading rum experts.

This surreptitious collaboration with noted rum cocktail luminaries lead to the development of Plantation’s newest expression: O.F.T.D. (Old Fashioned Traditional Dark) aged rum. The new offering blends exquisite aged marques from Guyana, Jamaica and Barbados.

This dark colored overproof rum, bottled at 69% alcohol by volume (138 proof), will be available in a one liter bottles for a suggested retail price of $31.99. It’s expected to reach retail shelves in the U.S. in September 2016.

The Tradition

This is not the first time Plantation revealed a secret rum project at the annual Tales of the Cocktail convention in New Orleans. In 2014, a limited edition Pineapple rum was circulated among an elite cadre of rum professionals. The reaction was quick and intensely successful. The rum later went into full production to acclaimed success.